Daniels and the Commanders host Penix and the Falcons in prime time with playoff chances at stake

Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. trained and went through the NFL draft process together on the way to becoming two of the five quarterbacks taken in the top 10. Penix, taken eighth in a move coach Raheem Morris joked “shocked the world,” waited behind Kirk Cousins until usurping the veteran and making his first pro start last week. “I’m happy for him — he waited his time,” Daniels said of Penix. “It’s always fun to play against your friends, your confidants, your mentors — whatever you want to look at it as — that we’ve been able to grow up with throughout this whole process,” said Morris, who was an assistant in Washington from 2012-14 under Mike Shanahan and interviewed for the Commanders job last winter. “Dan coaching me in college,” Morris added, “and then having a chance to work together and then having a chance to really follow the same path to the National Football League and then to now being in a fortunate position to be head coaches in this awesome league and having a chance to compete against each other at a very high level with high stakes on the line in prime time and all of those things — I just enjoy those moments of being able to go against guys that you care about.” Morris said conversations from their close working relationship, which dates to their time together at Hofstra, are on a break right now.